


The Sleepover

by keenai



Category: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-20
Updated: 2010-12-20
Packaged: 2017-10-13 20:08:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/141281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keenai/pseuds/keenai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>We're still us. Just older.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sleepover

**Author's Note:**

  * For [seawench](https://archiveofourown.org/users/seawench/gifts).



“Hello?”

 

“Carmen!”

 

“Tibby? Is that you?”

 

“And me,” piped in Lena.

 

“And me,” said Bridget, sounding offended.

 

“Ya ya!” Carmen yelled.

 

The four of them giggled. Well, except Tibby who said, “Really, Carmen?”

 

“What’s going on?” Carmen asked.

 

“Well, we figured that since you’re coming home in the first time since _forever_ —“

 

“Sleepover!” Bridget said

 

“Sleepover?” Carmen asked.

 

“Yes!” Lena said.

 

“Can you tell whose idea it was?” asked Tibby.

 

“It’s a really good idea,” said Bridget.

 

“I agree,” said Carmen.

 

“You don’t think we’re too old?” asked Tibby.

 

“No!” three voices said in unison.

 

“Geez, just throwing it out there.”

 

“Where?”

 

“Don’t you worry about that,” Bridget said. “We’ll see you when you get home.”

 

“ _Finally_ ,” said Tibby.

 

“Yeah, finally,” Carmen agreed.

 

When she hung up, she had a huge smile on her face.

 

* * * * *

 

“You have got to be kidding me,” Carmen said.

 

“Nope,” said Bridget.

 

“But how will we get in?”

 

“The way we always did.”

 

“Oh fix your face, Carmen. We’re not climbing up the fire escape,” Tibby said. “Besides, there’s no way I can get a baby carrier up there.”

 

“I still can’t believe you brought the baby,” Lena said. “Not that she isn’t adorable, but…we’ll be talking about grown-up things.”

 

“Oh, Lena, really. She’s three months old. She doesn’t care what we talk about. She just cares about getting fed.” Tibby sighed. “I swear, I am a human milk factory. All this little grub monster wants to do is eat.”

 

“I don’t mind,” said Carmen quickly. “Besides, look how sweet she is.”

 

“That’s because she’s not gnawing at your boobs.”

 

Bridget rolled her eyes. “Tibby, it’s not like you haven’t done it before. Christ. I swear, if you’re going to complain about her all night…”

 

“What, Bridget? What are you going to do?”

 

“I’ll just call Brian to come pick her up, and then I’ll have him take her to Marley to babysit.”

 

“You will not! Your twelve-year-old is not going to be left alone with my baby.”

 

“Oh please. She’s babysitting Bailey right now.”

 

“That’s _different_. Bailey is _three_ , not a sweet, helpless—“

 

“Little grub monster. I know.”

 

“Come on, guys,” Lena said. “Could we please not?”

 

“Yeah,” Carmen said, linking her arm through Lena’s. “Could we please not?” She was smiling as she said it. “Besides, I still don’t know how we’re going to get into the yoga studio.”

 

“Oh, that’s easy,” Lena said. “I have the key.”

 

* * * * *

 

“I have to say,” Carmen said, “it’s weird walking in through the front door at night.”

 

“Easier, though,” Lena said.

 

“Definitely.”

 

“Tibby, what are you doing?” Bridget asked.

 

“What does it look like? I’m setting up the air mattress.”

 

“An air mattress? Really?”

 

“Yes, really. I have full boobs. They’re not going to be happy pressing up against a hard floor. Besides, I like to be comfortable.”

 

“That’s actually a really good idea,” Carmen said. “I wish I had thought of it.”

 

“I have an extra in the car. It’s queen size so you and Lena can share.”

 

“What am I?” Bridget asked. “Chopped liver?”

 

“I’m sorry. A minute ago my air mattress was lame. Now you want one of your own.”

 

Lena laughed.

 

“Lena has been sickeningly happy since her engagement,” Bridget said to Carmen. “She thinks everything is funny. Even Tibby.”

 

“And you have been increasingly bitter since your divorce,” said Tibby. “Even though it was, what? Five years ago. Just watch, Carmen. It won’t take five minutes before she’s telling Lena to back out before it’s too late.”

 

“This is not true, Carmen,” Bridget said. “I like Dr. Phil.”

 

“Would you stop calling him that?” said Lena.

 

“Why? He’s as old as Dr. Phil,” said Tibby.

 

“Tibby!”

 

“I’ve seen his pictures, Lena” Carmen said. “He is kind of old.”

 

“Okay, so maybe he is a little bit older than me—“ (Tibby snorted; Lena ignored her) “—but he’s totally sweet and supports me.”

 

Bridget made gagging noises.

 

“Besides, I love him,” Lena said simply.

 

“Yeah, well, that doesn’t change the fact that his name is Phil and he’s a doctor,” said Tibby.

 

“I think she’s working through some daddy issues,” Bridget said.

 

“Lena doesn’t have daddy issues,” Carmen said.

 

“Thank you, Carmen,” Lena said.

 

“Anyway,” Bridget said, “we are boring. Lena’s marrying some old dude, Tibby’s a baby machine—“

 

“Two!” Tibby said. “I only have two! That does not make me a machine.”

 

Bridget rolled her eyes. “Like I said, Tibby’s a baby machine, I’m bitter and single. There’s nothing new here. Tell us what’s going on with you, Carmen.”

 

“Yeah,” Lena said. “How’s California?”

 

“Oh, it’s okay,” Carmen said. “Work. Volunteering with my kids. Nothing has changed there.”

 

“Nothing?” Bridget said.

 

“Seriously, Carmen. You’re living the single life way across the country. There has to be something more exciting going on. We need to live vicariously,” Tibby said.

 

“I’m exciting and single!” Lena said.

 

“There is nothing exciting about marrying some old dude next summer,” Bridget said.

 

“Bee!” Carmen said. “There’s plenty exciting about that.”

 

“She’s moving to _Manassas_ ,” Tibby said. “Tell me what’s exciting about that.”

 

“Well,” Carmen said.

 

“See?” Bridget said. “Even you can’t come up with anything and you and Lena are the bright side queens.”

 

“I was going to say,” Carmen said, “that she’s starting the next chapter of her life.”

 

“Boringly,” added Tibby.

 

“Let’s change the subject,” Carmen said, noting Lena’s put out expression. “How did you get a key to the studio?”

 

“That’s not changing the subject.”

 

“Seriously,” said Bridget. “Dr. Phil owns part of the studio.”

 

“Oh.”

 

There was an awkward silence.

 

“Is that how you met?” Carmen asked Lena.

 

“No,” Bridget said. “That’s how he proposed.”

 

“This is not changing the subject!” Lena said. “Stop making fun of my fiancé. I’m going to draw you all now.”

 

“Oh yay,” said Carmen, clapping.

 

“Yeah yay,” said Tibby. “That’s her way of saying she would stab us with her pencils if she could.”

 

* * * * *

 

“I miss this,” Carmen said. “I miss you guys.”

 

“Hmm,” Tibby said.

 

“Move back home, Carmen,” Bridget said.

 

“Yeah,” said Lena.

 

Tibby said nothing. She and Carmen had talked about this before.

 

“I feel like I’m missing everything,” Carmen said.

 

“You’re not missing everything, Carmen,” Lena said.

 

“Yes I am! Next time I get to come home, what’s going to be going on? Brian and Tibby will probably be married by then. Or Marley will be graduating from high school. Or you’ll have a baby.”

 

“I’m not having a baby,” Lena said.

 

“Yes you are,” Carmen said. “You’ll have two babies, like Tibby, and all of your kids will know each other, and I’ll still be single and alone in California and too poor to come home for all the milestones.”

 

“That’s why you should move back,” Bridget said.

 

“Except I can’t,” said Carmen.

 

“That’s what I don’t understand,” said Lena. “Why can’t you?”

 

“Bridget gets it, don’t you, Bee?”

 

“Yeah.” Bridget shrugged. “I know what it’s like to want to be anywhere but where you are. But, Carmen, you don’t have to stay away. Haven’t you found what you’re looking for by now?”

 

“Oh, Carmen,” Tibby said. “Come here so I can put my arm around you. I don’t want to move the grub monster.”

 

Carmen smiled. “No, it’s okay. And, no, Bee. I don’t know what I’m looking for; I just know it’s not in Bethesda.”

 

“We’re in Bethesda,” said Lena.

 

“No we’re not,” said Tibby. “I’m in Rockville. And you’re moving to Manassas.”

 

“Stop saying Manassas like it’s a dirty word. Besides, you know what I mean. We’re all here. We’ll be here.”

 

“Why can’t one of you come with me?” asked Carmen. “Or all of you.”

 

“Oh, Carmen,” Tibby said. “I’m going to miss you when you leave.”

 

“Promise me you and Brian won’t get married until I can be there.”

 

“First of all, Brian and I are not getting married. I already told you we enjoy living is sin. Plus, really, we all know I’m not changing my last name to McBrian.”

 

“Yeah, but you’ll have another baby and I’ll miss that again.”

 

“He got a vasectomy.”

 

“Tibby! You know what I mean.”

 

“Okay, I promise you that I will put my life on hold until you decide to visit again.”

 

“Thank you. That’s all I ask. And Lena?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me, Carmen. Phil already has two grown children.”

 

“I told you he was old,” Bridget said.

 

“Yeah, how do you go from Kostas and that hot art dude to Dr. Phil?” Tibby said. “I just don’t get it. I mean, you’ll be a grandmother before you’re a mother.”

 

“Phil is sweet and kind and doesn’t play games with me. Plus, he’s an amazing lover.”

 

“Okay, gross,” Bridget said. “Old man balls.”

 

“Awesome old man balls.”

 

Tibby groaned. “Well, at least you’ll be a kept woman,” she said. “I guess that’s the trade-off. That and Manassas.”

 

“You’re really not missing that much, Carmen,” Bridget said. “We all live quiet, ordinary lives. I mean, yeah, I got a divorce, but who hasn’t? And yeah, me and Tibby have kids, but who doesn’t? I mean, we’re not really remarkable, you know? We’re just living our lives. We’re still us.”

 

“Just older,” Lena said.

 

“And fatter,” Bridget said, indicating her waistline.

 

“And slower,” Tibby said. “Bridget doesn’t even run anymore.”

 

“Kind of hard with a busted knee.”

 

“But we still do what we love. Lena has her art, Bridget coaches the team, Tibby is a videographer. You’re out there writing and teaching and acting. I mean, we’re still us. We’re just…spread out.”

 

“Besides,” Lena said. “We have Facebook.”

 

“Also, I got something else,” said Tibby. “Bridget, reach into the bottom of the diaper bag for me.”

 

“You have got to be kidding me,” Bridget said. She looked over her shoulder at Lena and Carmen and smiled.

 

Tibby smiled. “I am not kidding you.”

 

“What is it?” Lena asked.

 

“You won’t believe this,” Bridget said.

 

“I don’t believe it,” Carmen said. “Pants!”

 

“Yeah, they have an elastic waist with a drawstring, so they’ll fit all of us,” Tibby said. “They aren’t magic, of course, but you know.”

 

“See, this is why I love you, Tibby. You’re such a closet sap.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

“I love them,” Lena said.

 

“I figured that we’ll decorate them and you can have them, Carmen. That way you’ll always have the pants and us, even way over there in California.”

 

“How come Carmen’s the only one who gets the pants?” Bridget asked.

 

“She’s not,” said Lena. “Tibby and I bought four, so we’ll each have a pair.”

 

“Art therapy,” Bridget said. “Of course.”

 

“Of course. It’s what I do.”

 

“I love it,” Carmen said. “Four pairs of magic pants.”

 

“Yeah, that way we’ll always be with you. And you’ll always be with us,” Tibby said.

 

* * * * *

 

“My back hurts,” Bridget says.

 

“That’s because you thought you were too good for an air mattress,” Tibby said.

 

“I can’t believe you wrote ‘Get You Some’ on the butt of my pants, Bee,” Carmen said.

 

“Well, I wasn’t going to write ‘Closed for Business’ on there, and that was the only other option,” Bridget said.

 

“Bee!” Lena said.

 

“Be glad I was so nice on yours, Lena, with you and your old man balls.”

 

“Ugh, I still can’t believe we had to leave so early,” Tibby said.

 

“There’s a greet the morning yoga class, which I have told you a million times,” Lena said.

 

“I can’t believe you think telling me that would make me complain less. Here, hold the grub monster so I can get my keys.”

 

“I’ll hold her,” Carmen said.

 

To the baby, she said, “Maybe when you get older you’ll be lucky enough to have crazy life long friends like these.”


End file.
